Last year, the Minnesota Vikings went 14–3 and came within a Week 18 victory over the Detroit Lions from home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Now, with quarterback Sam Darnold in Seattle, J.J. McCarthy takes over one of the most talented teams in the NFL led by the receiver duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores also leads an excellent group paced by Jonathan Greenard, Jonathan Allen, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman and Javon Hargrave in the front seven. If the back end can hold up, and McCarthy does his part, the Vikings have championship aspirations.
What’s at stake this season: Can the Vikings make a big move?
Minnesota is trying to establish McCarthy as its current and future franchise quarterback If he becomes that, he will become the first homegrown quarterback earning star status since the days of Fran Tarkenton in the 1960s and ’70s.
The Vikings are also trying to become a force in the playoffs. Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff game since 2019 and has only two postseason victories since the start of the ’10 season. Under coach Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings have as much talent as almost any team in the league, especially after the offseason brought reinforcements on the offensive and defensive lines with Allen, Hargrave, Ryan Kelly and Will Fries all being acquired via free agency.
If the secondary can hold up and McCarthy gets stronger as the season progresses, there’s plenty of surrounding talent both on the field and in the coaching staff for the Vikings to make a significant run in the NFC North and the conference in general.
Biggest question going into training camp: How does the secondary shake out?
The Vikings were able to retain star corner Byron Murphy Jr., but Stephon Gilmore and Cam Bynum left in free agency.
With that duo gone, Minnesota will rely heavily on third-year man Mekhi Blackmon to return from a torn ACL, while also getting some quality snaps from Isaiah Rodgers, who was signed away from the Philadelphia Eagles this winter.
The good news? The Vikings have one of the league’s best safety duos in Harrison Smith and Josh Metelllus. But outside of Murphy, there are legitimate questions about how good Minnesota’s secondary will be in a division loaded with quick-strike offenses.
Sources are saying: McCarthy’s growing pains
“It’s a talented team. They’ve got a rookie quarterback, but they also have a lot of vets on that team that I’m sure will help him out a lot. To me, he’s a rookie quarterback. He’s going to go through his ups and downs.” —an NFC defensive back
Breakout player candidate/X-factor: McCarthy
McCarthy is the easy choice and the only choice. If McCarthy comes in and plays well, Minnesota has more than enough talent to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1976.
In his final season at Michigan, McCarthy led the Wolverines to a national championship. He threw for 2,991 yards on 9.0 yards per attempt, with 22 touchdown passes and four interceptions while leading the nation with a 72.3 completion rate.
If McCarthy can manage Minnesota’s offense, the Vikings are incredibly dangerous.
Head coach-quarterback ranking: 18th
McCarthy is the first quarterback in NFL history to take over a team coming off a 14-win season since Brian Griese started for the 1999 Denver Broncos after John Elway’s retirement. He walks into an amazing situation due mainly to O’Connell, who has become a top-10 coach who gets the most out of quarterbacks despite the lack of a playoff win.
Fantasy pick: Aaron Jones Sr.
Jones finished last season tied for 14th in fantasy points among running backs, and he was seventh among running backs with 306 touches. At 29, it was the most touches he’s had in a single season. Now entering his age-30 season, Jones will likely to lose work to Jordan Mason, 26, who the Vikings acquired via trade from the 49ers. This looks like like a potential backfield committee, so regression is coming for Jones. I wouldn’t be comfortable using him as more than a fantasy flex starter. —Michael Fabiano
Best bet: Miss the playoffs (-128) via FanDuel
A lot of people felt the Vikings overperformed in 2024, and now they have to place their trust in a quarterback who has yet to take a snap in the NFL. Yes, the Vikings are well-coached, but they have a big mountain to climb if they want to return to the playoffs in ’25. They play in the most competitive division in the NFL, as well as an NFC stacked with potential wild-card teams. Minnesota takes a step back this year as McCarthy adjusts to the NFL, resulting in them failing to return to the postseason. —Iain MacMillan
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 32 Teams in 32 Days: Vikings Present and Future in the Hands of J.J. McCarthy.